Not so little any more. He'll be 17? 18? during the seventh book.

Being that these are nominally a "childrens" book series, the death of the hero of the books would bring widespread condemnation and would overpower the actual writing.

That may not sit right with us Whedonverse/Minearverse/etc. fans but there it is.

Unless he dies and is returned somehow.

You know, for all intents and purposes, Frodo DID die at the end of LotR.

I definitely think it was planned between S and D.

Either it was planned (maybe not as to the specifics, but at least generally), or D got things terribly wrong. JKR almost has to explain why D was so adamant in support of S -- the issue was raised too many times simply to be dropped.

If Draco isn't redeemed a little, he stays a cardboard villain.

Draco graduated beyond cardboard in the tower. When push came to shove, he couldn't do what he intended to do. All talk, no action.

I don't want Harry to die. In fact, I don't like how everyone he loves/depends on has to die. His parents, Sirius, Dumbledore. Who's next - Ron? Hermione? The entire Weasley clan? It's too much.

I'm wondering if there will be a post-dated letter arriving for Harry explaining it all. Wasn't there a letter in the book? I'm getting confused between some the books and some damned fine fic I've been reading.

I definitely think it was planned between S and D.

I read somewhere (LJ? I misremember) that it seemed like it could have been planned. I do think Dumbledore is definitely dead -- and I will be extremely peeved if he comes back, despite how I sobbed -- and that the others will talk to him via headmaster's portrait.

I read that scene with my mouth hanging open, thinking, Dumbledore was wrong! Snape really is evil! But by the end of the book, the more I thought about, the less convinced I am. There's his insistence that Snape is to be trusted throughout the book, his insistence that Snape is called when they return from the cave, and, as someone else pointed out, the fact that the scene is viewed through Harry's POV. What he sees as "hate and revulsion" on Snape's face at the moment he's about to kill Dumbledore might actually be anguish and anger, that Dumbledore is making him do this horrible thing.

JKR almost has to explain why D was so adamant in support of S -- the issue was raised too many times simply to be dropped.

Exactly. I can't imagine she'll just let this drop. And I can't understand why she gave us the scene at Spinner's End with the Unbreakable Vow if she didn't plan to twist it somehow. Yes, Snape promised to help Draco -- but no one else would have known that in doing so, he was helping Dumbledore, too. If Dumbledore knew he was dying (since his hand is already damaged before the book begins) then they might very well have discussed this outcome.

I don't remember a lot of the information about Regulus either. I may have to reread. I'm looking forward to a Hogwarts-less book, though -- my guess is a lot of it will take place at Grimmauld Place, which could be cool.

And I can't understand why she gave us the scene at Spinner's End with the Unbreakable Vow if she didn't plan to twist it somehow.

And even I noticed that during that scene, Snape did a lot of, "Yes, I already know that" without offering any information to confirm that he did, in fact, know what Bellatrix and Narcissa were talking about.

I do wonder what's up with Peter Pettigrew rooming with Snape. It seems...odd. Someone in Literary posited that they are each being used to watch the other for V, which makes sense, but I'm curious if there's more to it than that.

Where was Peter at the end of OotP? I skimmed that book so quickly that nothing's really stuck.